Few years ago in London large scale study was done on water quality. In drinkable water “trace” of pharmaceuticals like statins, blood pressure-reducing drugs contraceptives, antibiotics and pain relievers and some others was relatively high

If these do accumulate it could definitely be bad. I have good reason to think that it’s a solvable problem however. There’s a pretty complicated toxin created by mesquite trees in America, called aflatoxin. It’s very similar in structure to steroid type hormones, often seen in contraceptives.en.wikipedia.org

Aflatoxins are poisonous carcinogens that are produced by certain molds (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus) which grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains. They are regularly found in improperly stored staple commodities such as cassava, chili peppers, corn, cotton seed, millet, peanuts, rice, sesame seeds, sorghum, sunflower seeds, tree nuts, wheat, and a variety of spices. When contaminated food is processed, aflatoxins enter the general food supply where they have been f...

But if you grow Mushrooms in freshly dried mesquite pods (very high concentration of aflatoxin), the mushroom is capable of breaking down and completely detoxifying the aflatoxin and even the lignin of the tree. Lignin is one of the most crosslinked and least digestible plant polymers, yet still it is consumed.en.wikipedia.org

Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form important structural materials in the support tissues of vascular plants and some algae. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity and do not rot easily. Chemically, lignins are cross-linked phenolic polymers.
Lignin was first mentioned in 1813 by the Swiss botanist A. P. de Candolle, who described it as a fibrous, tasteless material, insoluble in water and a...

If we can integrate a scavenger type fungus into our water processing infrastructure, I think all of these waste products could be removed in a single step… and we’d get mushrooms to eat!

It should be patented. Just kidding An excellent example how to solve a problem. So it’s just an ability to find a solution. I’m lack that one. And I thought that way:
after all Earth are closed system. So it’s just a matter of time where we will find ourselves in an “unlucky position”. Some people unable to understand that fact some do it for purpose…
It’s a simple math and logic. If we (“critical mass” of population) will not start to behave responsibly. Then the “Great Filter” is ahead of as. And we are one of the many species (civilization) which fade away “pretty soon”.
But hope is still there. At least some people can find a solution